Portsmouth & Bristol Rovers in transfer tussle for Celtic player | OneFootball

Celtic’s Bosun Lawal is a loan target for Portsmouth and Bristol Rovers this summer, with the defender expected to leave the Scottish champions.

Who is Bosun Lawal?

The 20-year-old, who has represented Ireland at U21 level, joined the Glasgow giants from Watford two years ago, and he has been predominantly with the development side since, although he has trained with the first-team and featured in the cup.

However, it’s clear he won’t get the minutes he needs under Brendan Rodgers this season, so the centre-back is set for a loan move, and Football Insider has revealed that Pompey and Bristol Rovers are both keen on the youngster.

“Portsmouth and Bristol Rovers have registered their interest in signing Lawal as they look to bolster their options ahead of the new campaign. The 20-year-old centre-back is likely to leave Parkhead for the upcoming 2023/24 season.”

What sort of player is Bosun Lawal?

At 6'3”, Lawal is a powerful player, and whilst he is predominantly used at centre-back, he can play in midfield as well if needed, in front of the back four.

That versatility makes him a very useful option, and he is comfortable in possession, which is obviously important at Celtic, who often dominate games and want to encourage the defenders to play out from the back.

Having joined the Hoops as a teenager, Lawal hasn’t yet had a taste of first-team football at a competitive level, so a loan is seen as the next step in his development.

Would this be a good signing for Portsmouth or Bristol Rovers?

Following on from that, it’s difficult to judge Lawal as he hasn’t been tested in a league like the third tier of English football.

However, the signs are positive. He has the physicality to cope, and he will have picked up a good footballing education with Celtic over the past few years, whilst their development side has been in the Lowland League, so he hasn’t just been playing against players his own age.

He is a young player with potential, and this will be his opportunity to show what he can do on a consistent basis.

Portsmouth & Bristol Rovers summer transfer plans

Like most clubs in League One, neither side is going to be in a position where they can just splash the cash. Instead, it’s about finding bargains and obviously loan deals, so that means many clubs will be in for the same players.

For Portsmouth, John Mousinho is preparing for his first full season in charge, and he will be using pre-season to really get his ideas across to the team. He wants a more expansive style of play, and that would suit Lawal, who has the recovery pace to play in a high line, and the technical quality to start attacks from deep.